On Tuesday, Sept. 27, fall elections for student senate will be held in the Hartman Union Building. Student Body President Lexi Casale was ready and willing to give the scoop on what’s in the works for next week.
For those out there who know next to nothing about Student Senate and how it’s run, here is a brief explanation. Student Senate is one of the most effective ways to help your peers here at Plymouth State University. Running for any elected seat gives students many opportunities to connect with the administration and to make a real difference on campus.
The only positions you will be voting for right now are the open slots, or those that did not get filled in the spring elections, when all positions were up for grabs. That means all hall representative positions, all freshmen class officer positions, a few sophomore class officer positions and a couple representatives for the junior class will be on the ballot for next week.
Election by email is something that is a work in progress. You may not be seeing it in this election, but hopefully by spring we can be using Survey Monkey to make voting more accessible for everybody who wishes to participate.
Responsibility is not something to be taken lightly here, however. Casale explained that it is flexible and everyone helps one another when the load becomes too heavy. It is important to do the best you can to fulfill the duties of your position to help everyone succeed and reach their goals. One of the goals the student government is trying to reach is to have everyone be more connected to the different branches of the student government as well as be more connected with the student organizations on campus.
Student Senate members work hard to represent the student body. As Casale said, “It is important to take the time to vote because there are people who take the time to be on the committees and make sure things are done in the student’s best interest.” Student government members are also just like every other student. They can get a strenuous course load, they have homework, jobs and class but still manage to find the time to organize events such as the election and still remain the friendly approachable people you can see around campus.
One of the most important things I learned from interviewing Casale is that everyone can be involved around campus whether its big or small. Voting may seem to be a small step, but it is anything but. Some advice Casale had to give was, “It’s not for everyone, but you won’t know unless you try.” She encourages everyone to get out next week and vote because every student has a say in what goes on at our school.